New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-03-27
GERONIMO Al FORT PICKENS.
AT EASE AMONG HIS BRAVES.

At Ease AMONG HIS BRAVES.
A LETTER TO HIS WIVES AND CHILDRrN-NATCHrZ
AND MANGUs.
IRON OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
FORT PTcKENs, Fla. March 23.Fort Picken' situated
at the extreme western cnl OF Santa Rosa Island
and opposite to Fort Barrancas on the mainland
commands the entrance to the Bay Of Pcnsacola-thc
hest haror Of The United states the Gulf OF MeVco
and the scat Of rapidly growing commerce. Geronimo
and fourteen cOmparios arrived at Fort PcltenS on
the Goth of October 1896, and followed in the
course Of few DAYS by the two chiefs ManguS ana
Nachcz Their women and children had previously
been forwarded 10 Fort Marion. st Augustine where
they are confined. The seventeen Indians are
held under close military guard, consisting OF Fifteen
enlisted men belonging TO the cd l. ;. ARTILLERY
and under TIE immediate command OF Lieutenant
Charles L. Parker Cndcr other circumstances this
insignificant force might be altogether too small On
his native heath the sullcn and desperate Apache
woull scarcely hesitate before attempting TO over
power and slay his jail rs. Here he is surrounded
by vast bodies Of salt water which inspire super
stitiOus dread which he has not yet been able 10
overcome For long time he declined TO venture
his precious body anywhere the beach. Whether
he be able TO swim or not. there but slight prob
ability of any naatOry effort TO escape. In addition
to the imaginary tcrrOr OF the there are sundy
real IN the shape Of man-cating sharks 10 when
tho toughest aboriGinc would he delicious morSel'
tunity.
With two exceptions all the captiycs are under
size The cpdrmis is dark brown-almost black IN
some; the hair long. black perfectly straight ahd
Enthusiastically bound by knots and handkerchief about
the head; eyes small. Keen and black as 1ct face
broad and features sharp; hands and feet sufficiently
small satisfy We're Dc We're, and body thin ana
1.-THE as that of the mountain lion; facial expression
sinister, furtvc and cunning-as becomes their past
environment Five months OF contact with civiza
ton have developed latent possibilities, Of which their
reasonably neat and clean appearance is an index
Three of the seventeen merit, or demcrit, special
notice. These Geronimo, Natchez and Man2us
Inc former Is not, as Is popuiaIlS supPo.eu INC
hereditary chief of his Tribe Like sitting Bun. he Is
Il medicine man, ana lIhe MN chcl ~ 7eiccuoI.
Head ana BRAIN his CIansncn, his influence over
them Is unboundeL Short and stout Vi hsurc, win
large square mead, hsh sihuuS lOIcndu hOohcu IV'c
piercing restless eyes, Ethiopian shin ana hihd oI
FEMININE and sOitncss, he exhibits some amaJlc
weaknesses haGIy III keeping WIN Ia, IopuUcl iDila
Tor III r. Rarc,y docs NisIaht escape NON
his pro unity without repeated hAnd-,lahns, mat
may OF may not IMPLY an IIi'"t4oi 20 V'''4 """4i'
now old doesn't know, DuJ lac docs hhV"
RED THIS event Occuuod II inc a."
oI eighteen, whcn Apache braves gon,iahJ mars.
married man. having gone through me nuptal ccIo-
moay 10 IMAM I'VE times. 4"O VI has WIVES arc
NOW prlsOucrs Nv ST. Augustine. Inc hope Ul scciu~
,Aolu again pOHenuI incentive 10 suDVIunauO"
prompt oDcdlcAcc. lie ANA ,oulDd'-0us OuoAI ~
cOrd Win Inc tender .CnipOslCOis psdiany Trans
mtled 1Iom OFT r4cAens orc -Iar.on. inc iono"
wl,,- ana son ana daughter, dlottcu OF couiec.
Ny Dear wives, taitn-sIcs-a ana 4ci'' anu my ION
arc ) u az Fort Marion! II ~ how DO You like u
there nave SOd pieAt, " eat ailu 20 ou scr ''
news. am NurS well satIsned hcrc but II / Viuy hdu
,uu with u,o a.Gm would moro "Ork ever
Ia, oAccptlng sundays :. At very ACa4thX ~ WOiA
As WOrA j. ndru. 1t consists VI hucns ana Idis
80, .,,, ar,inn linz fort AZ seems to me the GItyit
utu,r ana God are very closely unltcd. 40 hope
hc Nlll let ono another SOON. ~ sure a. thr
trees bud and bloom ia the sprins, my hop,
Of -etl
Dut when } ou 90 one Lps mo- "iiu h,t tnuii
INN ,peak, INTO his ana believed Whde
hc H., and stll think he Will Keep hss "oid IL
to.d that would sc you sOOn, also see - me-
country and lots oil people. Inc people and The
country / have ocen but not you. Int sun uses an.
hero Just The sinlc "a III our county, but thc
water here Inc Government i sOOi, anu docs
not Inc 10 tho IndIan Imposcl On. II has gwen
cnoien to cat think vi Cod the President, and Jou
IN The same light. lhe YOU 70 well When get
iS,mk tie same Of he a, DO Vi you thlll ol
have influence with the sun, moon and stars. II The
could support ourscl, csOh! wouldn't It be me We
an, at peace now, and by Gods help Will remain 30
There arc scNehec Oi Us mere ana not one thinks oi
acts bad. Every body Is well and cOntcnted. Ch%ltV
Is bad man. ana has caused Is IOts OF uolbc. III.
him hear d Woni Of tls letter. DO what IS right no
matter how you may suffer Write 10 me soon long
N.tchcl, Tho true hereditary chief, is "a spcci-
men OF indian manhood, over ~. d icet high erect
well pOpOrtioncd grave ana dlg1hed under ms weight
of thirty years The rest OF the Dand treat MN VITA
ike Of that fierce light which beats uIon royalty Of
All grades most emphatic. -
liangus Is an inirdclablc savage. HIS Is still
IN band1scs iIom tho ELECTS OF injury received while
on his way Pensacola When nearing that city, AZ
spraIs through the car window an, was stunned by
sudden collision with the ground. Iagaining con
scousncss simultaneously with rccapture he put
in irons until the final destination reached Then,
10 his great Joy the handouts we're removed.
TWO dugy old easements In the interior OF the fort
ecn anco5modaons 10 thm nncom9lr,o m
nod. II "a he A.
army ratons, are prepared by an indian cook as
-gned TO that duty. salt pork Is infinitely less to
their than fresh beef and is cooked by frying
alter first soaking and boiling out all the brine. Fresh
n-h which Pensacola Bay supplies I'm choicest varlc-
Glad soldiers fatigue suits, the prisoners much
more prcsentabc than when attrc1 in Indigenous
hroadbrmmed hats But high topped shoes consti-
tuto their especial vanity Mangus evidently prefer,
his to the time -honored moccasin and blacks them
Glad to be beyond the reach of Arizona Justice,
bic and industrious. Shovel rake, and axo have
already become familiar tools. Tho wheebarrow
Geronimo, Is buclng bronchO I'm those OF a metro
politan dude: but he is said 10 have achieved com
tfrous grace with which he swings the sounding ave
is not exceeded by that with which he was wont TO
n.cnt; No more fantastic tOLeis than these willing
Apache warriors can be found in all the sunny south
ablo artistic ability. and delights in making colored
sketches Of the sergeant Of the guard.
criminals worthy Of death visitor coraIly shake
them by inc hand and wish to possess photographs
objections TO the camera Mangus the onIv Bark
igI among the numler The happy po-sessor Of an
old blouse with captains shoulder straps he is NOR,
than "wllin" at every opportunity. Mr. George
guagc perfectly, and exerts powerful bcncncent In
auenco over them To him is largely due whatever
progress they have made.
REECUER At TIE TIME